One of the features of a prototypical layout is that you have some flexibility about the names of locations and businesses that form part of the scenery. Frequently, such prototypical modellers choose a scenario where an alternate history envisages an additional railway line built to actual locations within NSW. I have probably gone a bit further, inventing fictitious locations in a general area of the state, in my case the upper Hunter Valley. The consequence of this is that location names as well as fictitious businesses needed to be generated and this post describes the story behind why some names were chosen.
The layout name was easy to decide after a bottle of red wine. If Jacob could have a creek named after him, then so could I, even if it was just an imaginary location. Incidentally on very recent visit to the Barossa Valley, I drove across Jacob's Creek. It was as unassuming in 1:1 scale as Philip's Creek is in 1:87 scale.
For other locations, I drew on links to the family connections. The small village of Mount Windeatt picked up my wife's maiden name while the township of Kingston Plains was chosen because we have lived in a township of Kingston in two parts of the world, Canberra and the UK.
The business names that have been used throughout the layout mostly invoke names from our family history. The one exception to this is the Royal Hotel, simply because it is one of the most common names for a hotel is regional communities.
In the Philip's Creek township, the two shops, Spencer's Fruit and Veg, and Buckingham's General Store are names from our genealogies. In the case of the Buckingham Brothers General Store, the type of business links to a distant uncle William Buckingham. Older readers may remember the Buckingham Department Store in Oxford St Sydney established in the 1920s. It was founded by William but destroyed in a spectacular fire in 1968 after the business had closed. My direct ancestor, Thomas, was William's brother and also worked in the company, hence Buckingham Brothers.
The three businesses in Kingston Plains also have links to our extended family. Coral's Milk Bar and Norm's Garage and Used Cars are named after my wife's parents who both passed away in 2016 and 2017. Coral loved her chocolate milk shakes and Norm had a penchant for purchasing any used car that attracted his attention.
This is my final post for 2019 and as the year rapidly draws to a close, I'd like to take the opportunity to wish all readers a Merry Christmas and a very happy 2020 for you and your family.
Nice reading Phil. But I would have expected to see "The Railway Hotel".
ReplyDeleteReasonable call Jim. It's actually located on the other side of the tracks at Kingston Plains. In other words, when you are shunting trains at that station, you're standing where the Railway Hotel bar is.
Deletecheers Phil
Phil a good and interesting post.
DeleteI have hinted in the names of the locations on my layout, and yet to go into the thinking dept for buildings to any great degree, although I have one set for a pub.
Of the main names Moblayne being the main depot town area is a combo of Molong and Blayney, the former being a generally pleasant small town and great location in the steam days, Blayney has one of the worst and IMHO in the top 4 locations in NSW that has miserable weather (being kind here) no matter the season of any year.
The other 3 locations are actual or were actual locations to the North of the main Western line with 2 on the Mudgee line out from Rylestone, where my late father was raised as the family lived there for a while, Nullo Mountain is at the end of a road named after the mountain. On the way to Nullo, there was a homestead called Akuna, where boyhood friends of my dad had lived for many years, and were reunited back in the late 50's following WW2.
The last location is named after Little Jacks Creek on the road to Merriwa from Willow Tree, another location where my dad lived for some years, I guess when I think of the families moves, it may be the reason why I have moved so many times while working and since being medically retired from the railways end of 1988.
Thank Col. In some respects, what I didn't address in the post was the obscure link to locations in the Upper Hunter. The location for the logging industry, Mount Windeatt is inspired by Mount Royal, now a national park but in the time frame of my layout, a state forest. I have often said that Merriwa is the inspiration for Kingston Plains. The name 'Merriwa' doesn't easily fit into the naming approach outlined in the post, so I incorporated 'Plains' into the name because Jerrys Plain is on the road to Merriwa.
Deletecheers Phil
Great post Phil. As always you've given us another reminder of how you can still have fun with a layout no matter how prototypical you choose to get. From one Phill to another, Merry Christmas and I look forward to reading more from Philips Creek in the New Year!
ReplyDeletePhill, thanks for the comment and Christmas wishes. Thanks for all of your Philden Model Railway blog post in 2019 and good luck with your layouts and projects in 2020.
Deletecheers Phil